How to Remove a Strong Leather Smell From a Coat

Written by alicia bodine

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Leather is produced from the tanning of animal skins. It is used to make furniture as well as jackets. The material is very durable when cared for properly. Leather also produces a strong odour. Many individuals enjoy the smell of new leather. If you are not one of them, you will want to take a few actions to reduce the odour coming from your jacket. You must be careful, however, so that you do not damage the leather in any way.

Skill level:

Moderate

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Things you need

Clothesline

Water

Dish soap

Large bowl

Sponge

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 cups linseed oil

Lint free cloth

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Instructions

1

Hang your leather coat outside on your clothesline. Make sure that the coat is covered by shade. The sun can actually discolour the leather coat. Air the coat out with some fresh air to help rid the coat of the strong leather smell.

2

Squeeze two drops of dish soap in a large bowl, and add lukewarm water.

3

Dip a sponge in the water, and wring it out well. Wipe down the leather jacket with the sponge. Take your time to cover the entire outside of the jacket.

4

Empty your bowl, and fill it back up with plain water (no soap). Rinse your sponge out to remove any soap, and dip it in the water. Wring it out, and wipe down the coat to remove some of the smell of leather.

5

Hang the coat out to dry in the shade.

6

Mix the vinegar and linseed oil together. Vinegar is well known for its ability to get rid of strong odours. The linseed oil will recondition the jacket.

7

Apply this mixture to your leather coat with a lint-free cloth. Let the jacket sit out overnight, and buff it with a dry lint-free cloth in the morning. The strong leather smell should be gone.

Tips and warnings

The more often that you air out your jacket, the less likely you will be to become overwhelmed with the leather smell.

A leather reconditioner just adds to the strong leather smell.

Don't clean your leather jacket too often. Only clean it about once per year.